World-class athlete visits Spring-Ford cross country team (Read 840 times)

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18978240&BRD=1306&PAG=461&dept_id=187830&rfi=6 Genuario, a sophomore runner on the Spring-Ford High School cross country team, and her mother were in a Collegeville nail salon several weeks ago when they recognized Catherine Ndereba, a world class Kenyan marathon runner who, when in the United States, lives in Norristown and trains at Valley Forge National Historical Park. Genuario's mother approached Ndereba's manager, Lisa Buster of Royersford, at the salon and asked if the 2004 Olympic silver medallist would speak to the Spring-Ford runners. And that's what happened Tuesday as Ndereba - just a mere five days before she runs in the New York Marathon on Sunday - shared her insights on what it takes to become a world-class athlete with nearly 50 student-athletes and staff at Spring-Ford High School. "It's an experience they won't forget and I hope they get out of it how to set goals and some mental strategies," said Danielle Stauffer, Spring-Ford assistant cross-country track coach. "Every year we run at Valley Forge and at least once we catch Catherine on the trail. Every time our runners see the Kenyan group coming, they get really excited." Make no mistake, in the world of running, Ndereba is the real deal. She is among the most famous people in her homeland of Kenya. In addition to her silver medal in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece, she is a three-time medallist in the World Championships with a gold in 2003 in Paris and again this year in Osaka, Japan, to go along with a silver in 2005 in Helsinki, Finland; she broke the women's marathon world record in 2001 with a time of 2 hours, 18 minutes, 47 seconds in the Chicago Marathon; was the first four-time female winner of the Boston Marathon; and is expected to be selected to the Kenyan team for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China. "Even being a world champion, I believe in God and whatever I do I ask for guidance from him," Ndereba, a born-again Christian, said to the attentive audience. "When you are learning, remember that God is your helper and he's the one who will make your feet fast. Obedience, discipline and trust in God have enabled me to get where I am today." After Ndereba detailed the timeline that took her from a young Kenyan girl to a world champion marathon runner, the young runners in the audience were curious about a number of other things, such as what the world champion eats before a big race (pasta and tilapia or salmon), her fastest time in the mile ("I have never just done a mile."), and do you talk to yourself during a race? "Oh yes, a lot," said Ndereba. "I have to talk to myself because no matter how strong I stay mentally, sometimes my body doesn't respond. So I talk and talk. I also sing." Ndereba, who lives in Nairobi, Kenya, with her husband, Anthony Maina, and daughter Jane, a sixth-grader, said she really has taken to Norristown and the surrounding area. "I love Norristown," she said. "I came to discover that it was a very good place to train. When I'm at Valley Forge, I feel like I'm back in Kenya with all the deer. Even when I'm home I sometimes miss Norristown." After motivating the young runners with her words, Ndereba hung around and posed for pictures and signed autographs for the adoring throng. "I really didn't know who she was at first, but now she's my idol," said Genuario, the youngster who helped start the series of events at the nail salon that led to Ndereba's visit to the school. "She's somebody that we all look up to. Her words were very inspirational and made people realize how good they can become."

That's so cool, Thanks for sharing!

I just stumbled upon that article. I wish I would have known, I would have e-mailed the coach and asked if I could have joined the meeting.